Did you know you might actually be able to repair a broken rear wiper motor on an Audi A3? I couldn’t find any good sources for this, so here is how I did it and what might have caused the issue.
I won’t cover how to remove the plastic to access the Audi A3 wiper motor since there are plenty of other sources for that.
Most likely, the rubber seal for the windshield washer fluid broke and leaked into the motor gears.
I opened it up, used brake cleaner and lubricant, and gently massaged the gears until they functioned properly. When I reassembled the housing, I used a spare rubber seal for the washer fluid fitting. No guarantees it will work perfectly, so it’s better not to use the washer fluid on the Audi A3 after this repair.
Important: When reinstalling it in the car, to test its function, the car needs to ”think” the trunk lid is closed. A good option is to move the lock mechanism to the locked state with the lid still open, the key in the on position, and the wiper turned on.
There are many guides on how to replace the rear window wiper motor on your Audi A3. However, now you might be able to save a few dollars for another day.
